1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to bypass filtration units for internal combustion engines and more particularly to an engine oil filter which is preferably reusable and provides both solid and liquid contaminant removal from engine oil.
2. Description of Related Art
Filtration or the removal of solid contaminants from engine oil via a canister bypass or flow-through filter is well known. As engine oil is circulated throughout an operating engine, solid contaminants are picked up and carried within the engine oil and, if not properly removed, can result in excessive or premature wear of the closely fitting internal engine components. The engine oil, typically operating at a pressure of about 40 to 60 psi, will produce a substantial force driving the engine oil into and through such canister oil filters for return to the engine crank case leaving solid contaminants within the canister filter.
One previous bypass filter design included no means for preventing oil flow stoppage therethrough due to debris clogging of oil passages while leakage around the internal separator plate allowing the oil to circumvent the separator plate and to drain back out into the oil pan without proper filtration are well known problems therewith.
For those oil filter designs which do not include a check valve means in the oil inlet, contaminated oil could easily drain back into the engine oil pan causing a time delay before oil refills the oil filter. Such prior art oil filters also have to be mounted level for best performance, any off level installation likely leading to a collection of oil on the lower side of the separation plate decreasing the filtration efficiency and occasionally causing oil leakage.
Previous oil filters which included a cal rod heating element positioned such heating elements in the bottom surface of the lid exposed to engine oil, leading to leakage around the ring holding it in place. Oil would also seep out from the filter around the electric terminal openings in the lid.
The present oil filter resolves these problems by allowing the filter to be mounted at up to a 45° angle without loss of filtration efficiency or leakage and includes a heating element which is not exposed to engine oil but yet is effective by its close proximity to oil passing through the filter to vaporize liquid contaminants for vented removal from the filter.
The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings.